Fastener



FASTENER Filed July 14, 1952 United States Patent Oflice 2,749,589 Patented June 12, 1956 FASTENER Charles MacArthur Carman, In, San Francisco, Calif.

Application July 14, 1952, Serial No. 298,749

18 Claims. (Cl. 24-153) This invention relates to fasteners which are commonly used to bind papers in a file, particularly those fasteners having spaced prongs which pass through perforations in the papers and which are bent and bound against the stack of papers by a form of keeper or keepers.

One object of this invention is to provide prongs which tend to spring to a vertical position of their own accord when released from the keepers, thus eliminating several time consuming hand motions and fatiguing mental coordinations required of operators of conventional fasteners.

Another object of this invention is to provide keepers which are combined in a single unit with the prongs and base, thus avoiding the hazard of misplacing the keeper and further eliminating motions, time and mental coordination.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method of binding papers not only on a line between the perforations by which they are impaled on the prongs, as in the conventional fastener, but also along extensions of this line toward the longitudinal edges of the papers.

Another object of this invention is to eliminate the complicated and time wasting system of sliding locks usually found on the keeper of a conventional fastener.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fastener of the utmost simplicity both in manufacture and operation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will emerge more clearly in the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the primary embodiment of this invention, showing the left prong and keeper in a vertical position ready to impale sheets of paper, and the right prong and keeper closed to the approximate binding position.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a prong and keeper, showing how they may be attached together and how they may be manufactured to be curved or bowed transversely to reinforce qualities of rigidity and springiness.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the longitudinal medial line of the primary embodiment of this invention, showing how the two keepers may be clasped together and drawn down the prongs, bending the prongs flat against the stack of papers and binding the'papers themselves tightly together;

Figure 4 is a plan view, taken from above, of an embodiment of this invention in which there is only one keeper, which is removable; this embodiment nevertheless fulfilling most of the objects of the invention.

Figure 5 shows a plan view of a section of this invention, showing a method of increasing the intensity of frictional locking between the prong and keeper when they are in binding position, by adapting a part of the keeper to act as a pawl and a part of the sprong to act as a ratchet.

Figure 6 is a variation of the prong and keeper, shown in perspective, in which they are attached together by a third member which acts as a set of shoes and as a comformed with the base, although they may be attached by any suitable manner as understood in the art; the prongs in either case established to normally project upwards at approximately right angles to the plane of the base, in position to impale the sheets of a stack of papers. To each prong is slidably attached a keeper 3 which may be adjusted to align flatly against a face of the prong to facilitate the impaling or removing of papers, or to be disengageably attached to the other keeper and drawn down the prong, bending the prong outwardly and binding it flat against the stack of papers, and binding the papers themselves tightly against the base. The base, prongs and keepers may be made of any suitable material, or of different materials in various combinations, but preferably are made of stifif but resilient and bendable materials, and even more preferably are made of springy and rebounding materials, such as spring steel.

The base, prongs and keepers may be very thin and may be flat in cross-section, but preferably are curvedor bowed in cross-section in a manner to stiffen them against bending in undesirable directions and to increase the qualities of springinessand reboundability when they are bent in desired directions.

The keepers may be slidably attached to the prongs by means of shoes or flanges 4, integrally formed with the keepers and projecting from the longitudinal edges thereof to provide a channel shape slidably embracing the longitudinal edges of the prongs; or they may be attached by any other suitable means. The keepers may be prevented from sliding off the ends of the prongs by means of projections 5 formed at the tips of the prongs, or by any other suitable means. The heads 6 of the keepers may be enlarged by projections 7 to make it easier to grasp and slide the keepers with the fingers when the keepers are in binding position, the projections 7 being either sharp or rounded. The heads 6 of the keepers may also be formed at a downward angle or downward curve relative to the general plane of the keeper when it is in a binding position, in order to co-act with the shoes 4 in bending the prongs outward and downward against the sheaf of papers, and also to take advantage of springy qualities in the prongs for the purpose of increasing frictional locking of keeper and prong in the binding position. The heads 6 of the keepers and the tips 8 of the prongs may also be rounded off or pointed in order to facilitate the impaling of papers.

In order to make sure that the ends of the keepers will clear the topmost layer of the stack of papers in coming into alignment with the prongs when the fastener is to be opened, the length of the body of the keeper from the ends 9 of the shoes to the end 10 of the tail 11 may be manufactured to be somewhat shorter than the length of the prong from the base of the fastener to the stops 5.

To insure that the keeper and prong will act together in a binding relationship, to facilitate closing of the fastener, and in general to strengthen the assembly of the entire fastener in its closed and binding position, the tails 11 of the keepers may be adapted to be disengageably clasped together by any suitable means; but preferably by means of deep notches 12 cut into opposite longitudinal edges of the keepers in a manner to face each other interlockably. The portions 13 of the notches may be cut away and rounded oif to facilitate the clasping operation.

The notch 12 may be located at such a distance from the shoes 4, and the base 1 of the fastener may be made at such a length, that when the fastener is in closed posi- 3 tion as shown in Figure 3, the prongs 2 will be bent at obtuse angles rather than at right angles or acute angles. Thus, the thinner the stack of papers to be bound, the more obtuse the bending angles will be, and the danger of breaking the prongs at the points of bending will be proportionately lessened.

The prongs 2 may be made at such a length from base to tip that when the stack of papers to be bound is of minimum thickness the tips of the prongs in closed position will not project horizontally beyond the longitudinal edges of the papers.

The maximum width of both prongs and keepers may be less than the diameter of the perforations in the papers to be bound. Since both perforations and papers are normally manufactured in a variety of standard sizes, it follows that this fastener may also be manufactured in a variety of standard sizes for the purpose of best adapting to the type of paper to be bound.

Referring to Figure 4, a plan view of an embodiment of this invention in which there is only one keeper, note that the stops at the ends of the prongs 2 have been eliminated, and a single removable keeper 14 has been substituted for the two keepers 3. The keeper 14 bears at each end the shoes 4 through which the prongs 2 may be threaded in the process of closing the fastener. The width of the keeper 14 may be either the full width of the head of the keeper or it may be narrowed between the heads as are the keepers 3. In all other respects the embodiment shown in Figure 4 may be identical to the primary embodiment shown in Figures 1 through 3, or it may be varied in any suitable manner according to the other variations of the invention.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a section of the keeper head and prong attached together in binding position, showing a variation of the invention in which slidable movement of the keeper toward the tip of the prong is inhibited by a pawl and rachet. The tip of the head 6 may be cut blunt and bent in a transverse direction so as to define a pawl; and the upper surface of the prong may be indented with a series of transverse notches 18 of any suitable width and spacing, and adapted to act as a rachet. This variation acts to increase the binding power of the fastener when in a closed position, and prevents loosening of the fastener when the file in which the papers are bound is flexed or bent.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a section of a variation of this invention, in which the prong and keeper are fastened slidably together by a third member, a compressor 15. In this variation, the shoes 4 of the keeper have been eliminated and it is not necessary for the head 6 of the keeper to be formed at a downward angle to bear frictionally against the prong as in the primary embodiment. Rather, the shoes 16, extending integrally from the compressor, are formed around both the keeper and the prong, fastening all three members together in a mutually slidable relationship; and the task of bending the prong at a downward angle to the plane of the keeper is performed by the compressor, which has a downward extension 17, either curled as shown in the drawing or formed in any other suitable shape, and which bears against the upper surface of the keeper. The extension 17 may be set at any desirable distance from the shoes 16,

and it may be formed on the outward rather than the inward end of the compressor. The compressor may be stopped from sliding off the end of the keeper by the projections 7, it may be made of any stifi' material and may be bowed in cross-section or flat, as desired.

The greatest advantage of this invention is its irreducible simplicity of operation. Where the conventional fastener requires a minimum of six separate movements of the hands for closing and eight for opening, this fastener may be either opened or closed in a single smoothflowing operation, as follows:

To close, after a sheaf of papers has been impaled, grasp the aligned heads and tips of each prong and keeper with the thumb and first finger of each hand, one hand to each assembly, with the thumb pressing against the fiat face of the head of the keeper and the first finger pressed against the underneath face of the tip of the prong. Then, bending both assemblies outwardly, bring the keepers to a horizontal position with the tails facing, and clasp them together by the notches. Pull outwardly and horizontally with the fingers still grasping as described above. Since the keepers cannot pull apart, the grip of the thumb and fingers is automatically transferred to the tips of the prongs and the keepers are forced to slide down the prongs until the papers are bound against the base member and the prongs are flattened against the stack of papers in a further binding relationship.

To open the fastener for the purpose of impaling or removing papers, grasp the keepers in either hand, one hand to each keeper, with the first finger pressing against the longitudinal edge of the keeper on the side away from the body and at a point near the head of the keeper, preferably with the finger bearing against the shoe and the projection 7; and with the thumb bearing against an opposite point on the longitudinal edge of the keeper nearest the body. Then, with oppositely rotating movements of the hands, unclasp the tails of the keepers and slide the keepers outwardly toward the tips of the prongs until the keepers are stopped by the shoes 4 against the stops 5. Release the prongs and keepers and allow them to spring up to a vertical position.

These operations may be performed smoothly and quickly when the stack of papers is not of a thickness too great to be conveniently manageable in a file. Each operation requires but one grip of the hands, which obtains throughout, and the only part of the operation which requires concentrated coordination, that is, the clasping together of the keepers, nevertheless is simpler to perform than the operation of threading a prong through a perforation in the keeper of a conventional fastener.

Even when the stack of papers is too thick to be conveniently manageable in a file, and when the thickness is so great, as shown in Figure 3, that the tails of the keepers will not clear the topmost sheet during the opening and closing operations, the resiliency of the keepers will make it possible to snap the tails into or out of the wells formed by the perforations with very little extra trouble. The keepers will have to be bowed or bent concavely to the papers in order to perform such snapping operation. In the case of opening the fastener, this operation can be performed without changing the grip of the hands.

To assist the snapping operation when the stack of papers is inordinately thick, the tails of the keepers may be manufactured somewhat narrower than the width of the prongs, as shown in Figure 1, and the rest of the body of the keeper may be manufactured slightly wider than the width of the prongs, making it easier to grasp to the exclusion of the prong itself.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, no difficulty would be met on account of the thickness of the stack of papers, since the keeper is slidable in relation to the prong to the degree that its tail may be moved to the tip of the prong.

It will be understood that any features of the described embodiments and variations of my invention may be combined in any practicable manner. It will be understood that my description has been illustrative rather than restrictive, that many details may be changed or modified without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention. I do not desire to be restricted to the exact details of construction described except as limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

I. A fastener consisting of a base with two spaced bendable prongs and two keepers, each keeper being slidably attached to one of the prongs by means of a compressor, the compressor bearing integrally-formed shoes on its longitudinal edges, the shoes being formed slidably A in around the longitudinal edges of the prong and keeper, the compressor having at one end an extension formed to project out of the plane of the compressor and adapted to co-act with the shoes in bending the keeper at an angle to the plane of the compressor, each keeper being adapted to be disengageably clasped to the other keeper in a manner to resist longitudinal tension, and with stops for the compressor formed at the tips of both prong and keeper.

2. A fastener consisting of a base with two prongs, and two keepers, each keeper slidably attached to a different prong, each keeper having means at one end to depress the free end of the prong out of the plane of the keeper, and each keeper adapted to be disengageably clasped to the other keeper in a manner to resist longitudinal tension, with stops for the keeper formed at the tip of each prong.

3. A fastener consisting of a base with two prongs, and two bendable but rebounding keepers, each keeper being slidably attached to a difierent prong, eac keeper having at one end means to depress the free end of the prong out of the plane of the keeper, and each keeper being adapted to be disengageably clasped to the other keeper in a manner to resist longitudinal tension, with stops for the keeper formed at the tip of each prong.

4. A fastener consisting of base with two prongs, and two bendable but rebounding keepers, each keeper curved in cross-section and slidably attached to a different prong, each keeper having at one end means to depress the free end of the prong out of the plane of the keeper, and each keeper adapted to be disengageably clasped to the other keeper in a manner to resist longitudinal tension, with stops for the keeper formed at the tip of each prong.

5. A fastener consisting of a base with two prongs, and two bendable but rebounding keepers, each keeper curved in cross-section and slidably attached to a different prong by means of shoes projecting from the longitudinal edges of the keeper and formed around the longitudinal edges of the prong, each keeper having at one end means to depress the free end of the prong out of the plane of the keeper, and each keeper adapted to be disengageably clasped to the other keeper in a manner to resist longitudinal tension, with stops for the keeper formed at the tip of each prong.

6. A fastener consisting of a base with two prongs, and two bendable but rebounding keepers, each keeper curved in cross-section and slidably attached to a different prong, each keeper having at one end means to depress the free end of the prong out of the plane of the keeper, and each keeper adapted to be disengageably clasped to the other keeper in a manner to resist longitudinal tension by means of a transverse notch cut in one of the longitudinal edges of the keeper, the notch in each keeper being arranged to face the notch in the other keeper interlockably, and with stops for the keeper formed at the tip of each prong.

7. A fastener consisting of a base with two prongs, and two keepers, each keeper being slidably attached to a different prong by means of shoes projecting from the longitudinal edges of. the keeper and formed around the longitudinal edges of the prong, one end of each keeper being formed for hearing against the adjacent face of the prong and adapted to co-act with the grip of the shoes to depress the free end of the prong out of the plane of the keeper, and each keeper being adapted to be disengageably clasped to the other keeper in a manner to resist longitudinal tension by means of a transverse notch cut in one of the longitudinal edges of the keeper, the notch in each keeper being arranged to face the notch in the other keeper interlockably, and with stops for the keeper formed at the tip of each prong.

8. A fastener consisting of a base with two prongs, and two bendable but rebounding keepers, each keeper curved in crosssection and slidably attached to a different prong by means of shoes integrally formed with the keeper and projecting from the longitudinal edges of the keeper, the shoes being formed around the longitudinal edges of the prong, one end of each keeper being formed 6 for bearing against the adjacent face of the prong and adapted to co-act with the grip of the shoes to depress the free end of the prong out of the plane of the keeper, and each keeper being adapted to be disengageably clasped to the other keeper in a manner to resist longitudinal tension by means of a transverse notch cut in one of the longitudinal edges of the keeper, the notch in each keeper being arranged to face the notch in the other keeper in terlockably, and with stops for the keeper formed at the tip of each prong.

9. A fastener consisting of a base with two spaced prongs, and two keepers, both prongs and keepers being bendable but rebounding, both prongs and keepers being curved in cross-section, each keeper being slidably attached to a different prong by means of shoes integrally formed with the keeper, projecting from the longitudinal edges of the keeper, and formed around the longitudinal edges of the prong, one end of each keeper being formed for bearing against the adjacent face of the prong and adapted to co-act with the grip of the shoes to depress the free end of the prong out of the plane of the keeper, and each keeper bein adapted to be disengageably clasped to the other keeper in a manner to resist longitudinal tension by means of a transverse notch cut in one of the longitudinal edges of the keeper, the notch in each keeper being arranged to face the notch in the other keeper interlockably, and with stops for the keeper formed at the tip of each prong.

10. A fastener consisting of a base with two spaced prongs, and two keepers, both prongs and keepers being bendable but rebounding, both prongs and keepers being curved in cross-section, each keeper being slidably attached to a different prong by means of shoes integrally formed with the keeper, projecting from the longitudinal edges of the keeper, and formed around the longitudinal edges of the prong, one end of each keeper being formed for bearing against the adjacent face of the prong and adapted to co-act with the grip of the shoes to depress the free end of the prong out of the plane of the keeper, the end of each keeper being adapted to act as a pawl and the adjacent surface of the prong being adapted to act as a rachet for the purpose of inhibiting sliding movement of the keeper in the direction of the tip of the prong, and each keeper being adapted to be disengageably clasped to the other keeper in a manner to resist longitudinal tension by means of a notch cut in one of the longitudinal edges of the keeper, the notch in each keeper being arranged to face the notch in the other keeper interlockably, and with stops for the keeper formed at the tip of each prong.

11. A fastener consisting of a base with two spaced prongs, and two keepers, both prongs and keepers being bendable but rebounding, both prongs and keepers being curved in cross-section, each keeper being slidably attached to a different prong by means of shoes integrally formed with the keeper, projecting from the longitudinal edges of the keeper, and formed around the longitudinal edges of the prong, one end of each keeper being formed for bearing against the adjacent face of the prong and adapted to co-act with the grip of the shoes to depress the free end of the prong out of the plane of the keeper, each keeper being adapted to be disengageably clasped to the other keeper in a manner to resist longitudinal tension by means of a transverse notch cut in one of the longitudinal edges of the keeper, the notch in each keeper being arranged to face the notch in the other keeper interlockably, stops for the keeperat the tip of each prong, each keeper being shorter in length than its prong, narrower in width than its prong for part of its length, and wider in width than its prong for the rest of its length, and with projections on the longitudinal edges of the keeper to render it more easily graspable with the fingers.

12. A fastener consisting of a base with two spaced prongs, and two keepers, both prongs and keepers being bendable but rebounding, both prongs and keepers being curved in cross-section, each keeper being slidably attached to a different prong by means of shoes integrally formed with the keeper, projecting from the longitudinal edges of the keeper, and formed around the longitudinal edges of the prong, one end of each keeper being formed for hearing against the adjacent face of the prong and adapted to coact with the grip of the shoes to depress the free end of the prong out of the plane of the keeper, the end of each keeper being adapted to act as a pawl and the adjacent surface of the prong being adapted to act as a rachet for the purpose of inhibiting sliding more ment of the keeper in the direction of the tip of the prong, each keeper being adapted to be disengagcably clasped to the other keeper in a manner to resist longitudinal tension by means of a transverse notch cut in one of the longitudinal edges of the keeper, the notch in each keeper being arranged to face the notch in the other keeper interlockably, each keeper being shorter in length than its prong, narrower in width than its prong for part of its length, and wider in width than its prong for the rest of its length, each keeper bearing projections on its longitudinal edges, and with stops for the keeper at the tip of each prong.

13. A fastener consisting of a base with two spaced bendable elongated prongs arranged in the open position of the fastener in spaced parallel relation substantially perpendicular to said base for extension through openings in a bundle of papers or the like to be fastened, a pair of elongated keepers slidably carried by said prongs on the inside confronting surfaces of said prongs and being dimensioned for extension with said prongs through said openings, said keepers being attached at their outer ends remote from said base to said prongs for the swinging of the opposite free ends of said keepers towards each other and upon the outer surface of said bundle and the bending of the outer ends of said prongs away from each other and onto said outer surface of said bundle to define a closed position of said fastener.

14. A fastener consisting of a base with two spaced bendable elongated prongs arranged in the open position of the fastener in spaced parallel relation substantially perpendicular to said base for extension through openings in a bundle of papers or the like to be fastened, a pair of elongated keepers each formed with a channel shaped shoe at one end slidably embracing one of said prongs and being dimensioned for extension with said prongs through said openings, said keepers being oriented with said shoes at their outer ends remote from said base for the swinging of the opposite free ends of said keepers towards each other and upon the outer surface of said bundle and the bending of the outer ends of said prongs away from each other and onto said outer surface of said bundle to define a closed position of said fastener.

15. A fastener consisting of a base with two spaced bendable elongated prongs arranged in the open position of the fastener in spaced parallel relation substantially perpendicular to said base for extension through openings in a bundle of papers or the like to be fasened, a pair of elongated keepers slidably carried by said prongs on the inside confronting surfaces of said prongs and being dimensioned for extension with said prongs through said openings, said keepers being attached at their outer ends remote from said base to said prongs for the swinging of the opposite free ends of said keepers towards each other and upon the outer surface of said bundle and the bending of the outer ends of said prongs away from each other and onto said outer surface of said bundle to define a closed position of said fastener, and means detachably connecting the free ends of said keepers to secure said fastener in closed position.

16. A fastener consisting of a base with two spaced bendable elongated prongs arranged in the open position of the fastener in spaced parallel relation substantially perpendicular to said base for extension through openings in a bundle of papers or the like to be fastened, a pair of elongated keepers slidably carried by said prongs on the inside confronting surfaces of said prongs and being dimensioned for extension with said prongs through said openings, said keepers being attached at their outer ends remote from said base to said prongs for the swinging of the opposite free ends of said keepers towards each other and upon the outer surface of said bundle and the bending of the outer ends of said prongs away from each other and onto said outer surface of said bundle to define a closed position of said fastener, the free ends of said keepers being formed with inter-engageable and interlocking notches for detachably connecting said free ends for securing said fastener in closed position.

17. A fastener consisting of a base with two spaced bendable elongated prongs arranged in the open position of the fastener in spaced parallel relation substantially perpendicular to said base for extension through openings in a bundle of papers or the like to be fastened, a pair of elongated keepers slidably carried by said prongs on the inside confronting surfaces of said prongs and being dimensioned for extension with said prongs through said openings, said keepers being attached at their outer ends remote from said base to said prongs for the swinging of the opposite free ends of said keepers towards each other and upon the outer surface of said bundle and the bending of the outer ends of said prongs away from each other and onto said outer surface of said bundle to define a closed position of said fastener, and stop means on said prongs for retaining said keepers thereon.

18. A fastener consisting of a base with two spaced bendable elongated prongs arranged in the open position of the fastener in spaced parallel relation substantially perpendicular to said base for extension through openings in a bundle of papers or the like to be fastened, a pair of elongated keepers each formed with a channel shaped shoe at one end slidably embracing one of said prongs and being dimensioned for extension with said prongs through said openings, said keepers being oriented with said shoes at their outer ends remote from said base and having a length less than said prongs for the swinging of the opposite free ends of said keepers towards each other and upon the outer surface of said bundle and the bending of the outer ends of said prongs away from each other and onto said outer surface of said bundle to define a closed position of said fastener, and means detachably connecting the free ends of said keepers to secure said fastener in closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 988,090 Hamilton Mar. 28, 1911 1,161,619 Cook Nov. 23, 1915 1,320,385 Goss Nov. 4, 1919 1,477,966 Lindstrom Dec. 18, 1923 1,927,623 Anderson Sept. 19, 1933 1,936,144 Wagner Nov. 21, 1933 2,119,843 Brennan June 7, 1938 2,329,869 Brennan Sept. 21, 1943 2,390,751 Tinnerman Dec. 11, 1945 

